AMD launches improved Ryzen desktop processors

AMD has unveiled a refreshed line-up of Ryzen 3000 processors for desktops.
The company is launching three new chips – the Ryzen 9 3900XT, Ryzen 7 3800XT, and Ryzen 5 3600XT – which AMD said are “purpose-built to maximise performance under any workload”.
The processors boast the same number of cores and threads as the 3000X variants of the processors, but use an optimised 7nm manufacturing process to offer higher boost frequency and increased performance at the same thermal design power (TDP).
For example, while the Ryzen 9 3900X features a boost frequency of 4.6GHz, the 3900XT bumps this up by an additional 100MHz to 4.7GHz.
AMD said this results in a small increase of up to 4% in single-threaded performance while being up to 40% more power-efficient than its Intel rival – the Core i9-10900K.
AMD’s B550 motherboard is now also available worldwide.
According to the company, the B550 is the world’s first mainstream chipset with PCIe 4.0 support, which offers huge increases in available bandwidth for graphics cards, SSDs, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet cards.
Specifications
The Ryzen 9 3900XT comes with 12 cores and 24 threads, a base clock speed of 3.8GHz, 70MB cache, and a TDP of 105W.
The 3800XT features eight cores and 16 threads, a base clock speed of 3.9GHz, and a maximum frequency of 4.7GHz, while the 3600XT sports six cores and 12 threads, a base clock speed of 3.8GHz, and a maximum boost frequency of 4.5GHz.
The processors will be available from top retailers worldwide from 7 July 2020.
The 3900XT is priced at $499, the 3800XT will set you back $399, and the 3600XT comes with a price tag of $249.
The table below shows the specifications of the Ryzen 3000XT processors.
AMD Ryzen 3000XT Processors | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Processor | CPU Cores | Threads | Base Clock | Max Boost Clock | Cache | TDP |
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT | 12 | 24 | 3.8GHz | 4.7GHz | 70MB | 105W |
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT | 8 | 16 | 3.9GHz | 4.7GHz | 36MB | 105W |
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT | 6 | 12 | 3.8GHz | 4.5GHz | 35MB | 95W |
Possible delay for Ryzen 4000 processors
The refresh has lead to speculation that AMD’s next generation of desktop processors – the Zen 3-based Ryzen 4000 series – will be delayed to 2021.
A report from DigiTimes citing sources at AMD’s motherboard manufacturers claim the Ryzen 3000 series is still selling well enough to justify an extension of its life cycle.
The sources said AMD would only launch its Ryzen 4000 desktop processors at CES in January 2021.
Sites like PC Gamer have called this report into doubt, however, noting that AMD has repeatedly confirmed it still plans to release the processors in late 2020.
The report added that betting a product launch on the massive trade show going ahead appears short-sighted, given the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 and the subsequent cancellation of most high-profile tech events.